Tab-form terminals provide a generally rectangular planar blade that may be received by a variety of different receptacles (connectors) including quick-connect receptacles. The latter quick-connect receptacles provide a channel, for example, with rolled edges capturing the blade between a channel base and the edges. Tab-form terminals may also be used with other receptacle types including “low insertion force” receptacles and connector blocks such as Insulation Displacement Contact Rast-5 connectors having different designs. Such tab-form terminals in the United States normally conform to the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) described in Standard for Safety for Electrical Quick-Connect Terminals, UL 310 Seventh Edition, Dated May 27, 2003 adopted as American National Standard (ANSI) ANSI/UL 310 hereby incorporated by reference.
Common receptacles for tab-form terminals compress the blade of the tab-form terminal between resilient elements to provide a contact pressure necessary to reduce the electrical resistance between the receptacle and the blade to prevent overheating of the connection caused by high resistance and to prevent accidental disconnection. These receptacles normally require that the blade of the tab-form terminal have a well-defined thickness (often approximately 0.032 inches) in order to ensure sufficient compressive force between the resilient surfaces while avoiding excess friction.
Different receptacles may contact different portions of a blade of the tab-form terminal with an expectation that the blade will be substantially planar.